


Important Business

by Obsession137



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-09
Updated: 2019-10-09
Packaged: 2020-11-28 09:29:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20964284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Obsession137/pseuds/Obsession137
Summary: Peter is sick of Tony dragging him around to fancy events and acting like they're nothing more than just friends.  Tony thinks he's protecting Peter by keeping the world from knowing about them when really he's only pushing Peter away and hurting him.





	Important Business

Peter had never wanted to go to this event to begin with, and Tony certainly wasn’t making it any more bearable. Peter hated things like this – elaborate parties with rich guests who Tony needed to make good impressions on. _All for business, it’s important for business_, Tony would replay on a loop and it drove Peter crazy. He hated being dragged around and introduced to random strangers who hid behind polite masks but who wouldn’t pay him the slightest bit of attention if he wasn’t standing next to Tony Stark.

“This is Peter Parker, my closest friend and my brightest intern,” Tony would say, smiling proudly between Peter and whomever Peter was shaking hands with. Peter would grit his teeth and smile begrudgingly.

“So lovely to meet you,” he’d force out of his mouth, and as soon as it was socially acceptable he’d make a beeline for one of the expensively dressed waiters who were holding trays with glasses of champagne. 

He was already lightly buzzed, verging on tipsy but he couldn’t really care less. After been introduced as Tony’s friend and intern for the seventh time in the evening, Peter found himself standing outside the front of the building to catch some fresh air in an attempt to calm himself down. He hated it. Not just that, but he hated that Tony knew how much he hated it, yet he still continued dragging him to these events.

He let out a slow breath, and watched cars drive past, wishing one of them was a cab to pick him up and drive him home.

“You got bored.”

Tony’s voice made Peter jump – he’d been too caught up in his own thoughts to sense that Tony had snuck up behind him. He glanced up at Tony and shook his head.

“No,” he said. “Not bored.”

Tony raised his eyebrows. “Don’t lie to me, Kid. These events are tedious. You know I hate them too.”

“Then why are we here?” Peter asked. “Hm?”

“Because it’s im-”

“-Important for business,” Peter finished. “Yeah, got that.”

“Okay, what am I missing here? Are you mad at me?” Tony asked, stepping in front of Peter and staring down into his eyes intently. “You gotta tell me, Pete.”

Peter sighed. “I just don’t like being dragged to these things and you know that. I’m just frustrated, that’s all. I feel out of place.”

“I know, honey,” Tony said, expression softening. “But you know I wouldn’t ask you to come if it wasn’t important. And I’ll make up for it later,” Tony smirked, leaning closer to Peter and dropping his tone to a low whisper, “with my tongue.”

Peter sighed again, louder and with more frustration. 

“What?” Tony asked, leaning back again. “I’m _sorry_. I won’t ask you to come next time if it’s that big a problem. I just thought you’d want to help me out here. You _know_ that it helps to have you there with me, for my reputation and all. Someone kind, and youthful, and-”

“-Is that all I am to you?” Peter spat, feeling tears beginning to form. _God, don’t let me cry – how pathetic_, he thought, trying his best to hold the tears back. 

“Of course not! Peter, _sweetheart_, you know that’s not true at all.”

“Are you sure about that, Tony? Because to me it seems that you’re just using me as a way to get what _you_ want. What _am_ I to you?”

Tony pinched the bridge of his nose and stepped closer to Peter. “You’re _everything _to me.”

“Oh,” Peter laughed. “Oh, right. Yeah. Everything.”

“What’s wrong with you tonight? I think you’ve been drinking too much, hand me the glass,” Tony said, holding his hand out towards Peter who still had half a glass of champagne in his hand. Peter shook his head stubbornly and held his glass away from Tony. “_Peter_, you’re causing a scene.”

“Oops!” Peter said loudly. “Wouldn’t want to _embarrass _you in front of all the important rich personaliti- less… personality, uh,” he scrunched up his face in confusion, nearly smashing the glass against the wall by accident, “erm… you know… BORING people!”

Tony cleared his throat and glanced around. Nobody seemed to be paying them much attention. He gripped Peter’s forearm roughly and dragged him around the corner into a dim alleyway, shoving him against the wall. 

“Give me the glass before you smash it and hurt yourself,” Tony demanded.

“Got super healing,” Peter shrugged.

“You’re drunk.”

“You’re in _denial_,” Peter slurred, bringing his glass to his mouth and finishing the drink. He handed the empty glass to Tony. “There. All yours!”

Tony put the glass down on a sodden cardboard box that had been left out in the street and then turned his attention back to Peter, who was staring up at him with an expression Tony couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“Denial about what?” Tony questioned.

“About what’s going on between us!” Peter practically yelled, looking exhausted. His eyes shone with tears and Tony knew what his expression was now – it was hurt. He looked _hurt_, and Tony felt a sharp pang in his chest at the mere thought that he’d done something to upset Peter – the one person he could never dream of ever hurting.

“I _know_ what’s going on between us, Peter,” Tony said softly, reaching out a comforting hand, which Peter promptly slapped away.

“No, I don’t think you do,” Peter said. “You seem to think I’m your good little intern, or better yet… your best _friend_…”

“You’re both of those things, I-”

“-We’re not just friends and you fucking know it, Tony!”

The silence following Peter’s words felt louder than his actual outburst. They stood for a moment just staring at each other, tears now freely rolling down Peter’s cheek. 

Peter exhaled slowly and looked away from Tony. “We’re just… we’re not friends. Okay?”

“We can’t _be_ what you want us to be,” Tony whispered, trying again with comforting Peter. He slowly brought his hand up, brushing it against Peter’s face and wiping away a teardrop. 

“_Why_? Because I’m too _young_?” Peter cried, letting himself lean into Tony’s touch. “Who CARES? I’m _eighteen_.”

Tony frowned. “What would people think of me? Or worse – what would people think of _you_? Shacking up with an old man like me? I don’t want people to say cruel things to you, Peter. I’m trying to protect _you_.”

“I’ve told you before that I don’t care!” Peter said. “I _don’t care_, Tony. People can say whatever they like, but it just… it _hurts_ when you spend the morning in bed with me and the evening being ashamed of me and calling me your _intern_ or your _friend_ when we both know we are so much more than that.”

“Hey hey hey,” Tony said quickly, taking Peter’s face in his hands and gazing down into his bright brown eyes. “I am _not_ ashamed of you. Don’t you dare ever think that, alright? I _love_ you, Peter.”

“If you loved me you would trust me when I say I want us to be together and I don’t care who knows it.”

Tony smiled sadly at Peter and carefully leaned in closer, closing the small gap between them. He’d half expected Peter to try to push him away, but Peter seemed to melt into Tony’s kiss, his arms coming up to wrap tightly around Tony and pull him in closer. Peter tasted of tears and champagne, and Tony wanted to take it all away from him, make him happy and radiant, like he was this morning after they’d made love in Tony’s bed.

When they broke apart, Tony leaned back in to kiss Peter’s forehead softly.

“I love you, Peter Parker,” Tony murmured against Peter’s skin. “And if it would make you happy for the world to know it, then I want the world to know it, okay?”

He felt Peter relax and glanced down at him. “You mean it?”

“I mean it.”

Peter’s hands were now wrapped around Tony’s neck as he stared up at Tony with the most beautiful of smiles Tony had ever seen.

“Well then,” Peter breathed. “I love you, too.”

They shared another slow, gentle kiss, until Peter lightly pushed Tony off and straightened out his suit to look a little more presentable.

“Shall we go back inside then?” he asked.

Tony shook his head and grinned. “Nope, I have some important business to attend to involving you, me and my bed.”

“Hmm,” Peter said quietly with a devious twinkle in his eyes. “Who am I to stand in the way of _important business_?”

Tony smirked and grabbed Peter, pulling him in so that their faces were only inches apart. “Let’s get out of here, shall we?”


End file.
